Dozens of Israeli settler militants wearing masks carried out an assault on homes near the village of Qusra in the occupied West Bank over the weekend. This marked the first significant attack following a recent incident where settlers laid siege to the area, sparking international attention.
During the attack, the settlers surrounded a Palestinian residence, pelting it with stones while seven Palestinians were trapped inside, as reported by witnesses to Reuters. Saddam Oday, one of the trapped individuals, shared that the Israeli military deployed tear gas into the house, detaining the occupants while releasing him. Notably, the military did not apprehend any of the settlers but allowed them to depart freely.
Luay Bayrudi, the homeowner, recounted that upon the military’s arrival, soldiers handcuffed, blindfolded, and physically assaulted those inside the house before eventually releasing them. The Israeli military, in a statement, mentioned that troops and border police intervened to disperse “rioters” and ensure the safety of the residents within the property.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly denounced the violence in Qusra, attributing it to a “handful of rioters.” He expressed condemnation for the criminal acts in both Qusra and the neighboring village of Jalud.
Residents reported frequent incursions by settlers into their vicinity, with Bayrudi mentioning that he and six others had to endure over an hour of being besieged while enduring a barrage of stones thrown by the settlers. Oday, a medic, highlighted that four individuals trapped suffered injuries due to tear gas exposure, while two others were hurt by the stones hurled by the assailants.
The attack occurred near three homes that had been under siege earlier in the month, drawing international censure and prompting a substantial Israeli military presence that effectively confined residents to their homes. Loui Ridi, a Palestinian American resident whose home was among those targeted, recounted witnessing the latest assault from his residence.
Ridi noted the persistent encroachments by Israeli settlers in the area surrounding his property, despite the heightened military presence. Rights groups have raised concerns over the escalating settler presence near Palestinian communities like Qusra, viewing it as part of a broader strategy to seize more land from Palestinians, undermining their aspirations for statehood.
The surge in settler violence in the occupied West Bank has been linked to a significant expansion of settlements under the leadership of Prime Minister Netanyahu. The Israeli military pledged to maintain operations in Qusra and Jalud to prevent further disruptions and restore order in the region.
While the United Nations and numerous countries consider the settlements illegal under international law governing military occupations, Israel disputes this classification, regarding the territories as disputed rather than occupied.
